A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a table game. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement of air powered hockey game pucks.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Air powered hockey has been a popular game since the early seventies in family rooms and amusement places. Simulating ice hockey, these table games provide a playfield which has a set pattern of small holes, each blasting a steady stream of air. Riding this blanket of air, the puck hit glides across the table with less friction. The Puck is a thin, round projectile which can be shot by the opposing players using the hand-held “mallets”. A fan blows air through the hole in the table is to make the puck slippery.
Play should be started with a “face-off” in the center of the game of the game. The object is to get the puck in the opponents's goal and players should stand at each opposite end of the playfield. Players may not cross beyond the center line of the game with mallets. The goal must be guarded from a position outside the “goal zone”. When a goal is made, the puck is put in play by the player not having made the goal which makes up the appealingly simple competition of game.
However, after a period of game play at the same game table, it naturally becomes a more familiar game with lesser challenge. There have been efforts to make the game less predictable to keep it interesting. A development of the air powered hockey of U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,282 suggests to provide a varied pattern of perforations to the table playing field so that players will not readily adapt to a game, in which pucks travel with unpredictable speed and directions. Others suggested varying air cushions by adding complex variable air valves and ducting to the table having an evenly perforated playfield.
Still, such perforating schemes are complex to apply to the existing game structures already in use. Peplacing the playfield for new perforations will cost high let alone upgrading to a variable air valves and ducting.
Inversely, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,267 suggests to add a secondary member to a puck body in order to give unusual rebound characteristics in search of rapid and diverse game action which requires preparation of different materials and assembly thereof.